Final Cut/Los Angeles has expanded its team again with the signing of Editors Matt Murphy and Dean Gonzalez. Murphy just completed a spot for Jawbone via ad agency Crispin Porter & Bogusky. Gonzalez is working on music videos for 9th Ward and LL Cool J, as well as spots for Adidas and Jimmy Choo.
“Matt Murphy is a talented editor who brings a great deal of enthusiasm and passion to his work,” says Eric Zumbrunnen, Editor/Partner of Final Cut/LA. “Plus, he’s a great guy to hang out with.”

“Dean Gonzalez brings with him a passion for his craft and a strong desire to mentor young talent, which resonates with Final Cut’s philosophy of growing from within,” adds Saima Awan, Executive Producer of Final Cut/LA. “He’s a great addition to our roster.”

Matt Murphy comes to Final Cut with experience in commercials, web content and film trailers. He was most recently at Rock Paper Scissors, where he started as an assistant to Kirk Baxter and built his reel with spots for EA Sports and Pony Shoes. In 2006, he was promoted to Editor and collaborated with noted directors, including Fredrik Bond on New Balance, and Paul Hunter and Henry Alex Rubin on Burger King, as well as Rupert Sanders on the Xbox Halo 3 video game spot “Gravesite,” which was a Grand Prix winner at Cannes Lions and Xbox Halo 3 “Ammo,” which was a Grand Clio winner at the Clio Awards this year.

He also cut a documentary-style web campaign for Adidas, directed by Paul Hunter and created by ad agency 180, which featured high school athletes being coached by NBA stars Kevin Garnett and Chauncey Billups, as well as one of the movie trailers for the thriller “Zodiac,” starring Jake Gyllenhaal and Mark Ruffalo.

Murphy graduated from NYU’s Film School and launched his editorial career as an apprentice at Cosmo Street. He then went freelance as an assistant editor before moving to LA to work with Kirk Baxter at Rock Paper Scissors.

“It was a good time for me to make a change,” says Murphy. “I was attracted to Final Cut’s talent pool under the leadership of Eric Zumbrunnen, and its bi-coastal presence. I like the fact that the editors here have the ability to move among the locations as the job dictates. It was a natural choice to be here.”

Dean Gonzalez brings a decade of commercial, music video and long form editing experience to Final Cut. Spending four years at Sunset Editorial, he worked with director Joaquin Phoenix cutting music videos for Silversun Pickups, Albert Hammond, Jr. (member of The Strokes) and ARCKID. He also worked with director John Roecker on his Green Day documentary, “Heart Like a Hand Grenade,” based on the band’s “American Idiot” tour, as well as director Charles Mehling who helmed spots for David Yurman, BCBG and Stride Gum.

Gonzalez was drawn to editing and even taught Avid courses while attending Columbia College’s Film School in Chicago. While at Columbia, he worked as a PA on feature films such as “Michael” starring John Travolta and “Home Alone 3”. Dean moved to L.A. and landed at Avenue Edit as an assistant editor where he contributed to commercials and Super Bowl spots. In 2001, he was promoted to Editor and lent his talent to campaigns for Chevy, Burger King, Hot Wheels, and Barilla, as well as music videos for Trail of the Dead, directed by Bruce Dickson, and Zwan, fronted by Billy Corgan.

“I wanted a company that brought all of my interests together,” concludes Gonzalez. “I’ve been following the work of Eric Zumbrunnen and JD Smyth, and am excited to work alongside such great talent. Final Cut is very supportive of their editors.”

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